NameCensus.

UK surname

Simons

Derived from the given name Simon, meaning "he has heard" or "to be heard."

In the 1881 census there were 3,952 people recorded with the Simons surname, ranking it #1,148 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,594, ranked #1,197, down from #1,148 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Daventry, Leicester and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Simons is 5,777 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.5%.

1881 census count

3,952

Ranked #1,148

Modern count

5,594

2016, ranked #1,197

Peak year

1911

5,777 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Simons had 3,952 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,148 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,594 in 2016, ranked #1,197.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,777 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Simons surname distribution map

The map shows where the Simons surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Simons surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Simons over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,969 #977
1861 historical 3,109 #930
1881 historical 3,952 #1,148
1891 historical 4,252 #1,126
1901 historical 5,298 #1,063
1911 historical 5,777 #902
1997 modern 5,406 #1,204
1998 modern 5,650 #1,197
1999 modern 5,747 #1,189
2000 modern 5,711 #1,190
2001 modern 5,521 #1,206
2002 modern 5,593 #1,212
2003 modern 5,445 #1,218
2004 modern 5,462 #1,211
2005 modern 5,437 #1,192
2006 modern 5,448 #1,189
2007 modern 5,435 #1,201
2008 modern 5,432 #1,208
2009 modern 5,537 #1,219
2010 modern 5,620 #1,229
2011 modern 5,565 #1,222
2012 modern 5,487 #1,217
2013 modern 5,649 #1,202
2014 modern 5,696 #1,198
2015 modern 5,626 #1,196
2016 modern 5,594 #1,197

Geography

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Where Simons' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Daventry, Leicester, Craven, North Lincolnshire and Barnet. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Daventry 005 Daventry
2 Leicester 035 Leicester
3 Craven 008 Craven
4 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
5 Barnet 007 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Simons

These lists show first names that appear often with the Simons surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Simons

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Simons, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Simons surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Simons household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Simons is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Simons is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Simons falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Simons is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Simons, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Simons

The surname Simons originated in the Middle Ages as a patronymic, meaning "son of Simon." It derived from the ancient Hebrew name Shimon, which meant "he has heard." The name was carried into Europe by early Christians and its earliest known bearers were primarily located in England, France, and Germany.

In England, the Simons surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared in various spellings such as Simund and Symon. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Roger Simons, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.

The name also has a strong presence in the historical records of France, where it was often spelled as Simon or Symon. One notable figure bearing this surname was Pierre Simon, a French philosopher and mathematician born in 1639, who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the theory of probability.

In Germany, the Simons surname was more commonly spelled as Siemonsen or Siemens. A famous bearer of this name was Werner von Siemens, a German inventor and industrialist born in 1816, who founded the Siemens AG company, one of the largest engineering firms in the world.

Another notable individual with the Simons surname was Menno Simons, a Dutch priest and religious reformer born in 1496, who played a crucial role in the formation of the Mennonite church. His teachings and writings had a lasting impact on the Anabaptist movement in Europe.

In the United States, the Simons surname has a long history dating back to the colonial era. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Jeremiah Simons, who was born in Massachusetts in 1680. Another notable figure was Raphael Semmes, a famous Confederate naval officer during the American Civil War, whose surname was sometimes spelled as Simons.

Throughout its history, the Simons surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Simonstown in South Africa, Simonsbath in England, and Simons Valley in Canada. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Simons surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Simons families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Simons surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 499 Simons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.29x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 499 1.29x
Lincolnshire 313 5.08x
Essex 240 3.15x
Leicestershire 227 5.31x
Surrey 208 1.11x
Lancashire 169 0.37x
Northamptonshire 168 4.63x
Cornwall 157 3.60x
Warwickshire 149 1.53x
Yorkshire 139 0.36x
Kent 128 0.97x
Norfolk 123 2.08x
Glamorgan 119 1.77x
Oxfordshire 110 4.62x
Worcestershire 95 1.89x
Nottinghamshire 93 1.79x
Somerset 88 1.42x
Devon 83 1.03x
Buckinghamshire 77 3.30x
Cambridgeshire 71 2.91x
Hertfordshire 65 2.45x
Bedfordshire 63 3.16x
Derbyshire 55 0.91x
Gloucestershire 41 0.54x
Angus 39 1.09x
Staffordshire 37 0.28x
Hampshire 33 0.42x
Lanarkshire 33 0.26x
Cheshire 30 0.35x
Wiltshire 30 0.88x
Durham 28 0.24x
Denbighshire 27 1.85x
Huntingdonshire 26 3.40x
Sussex 25 0.38x
Monmouthshire 23 0.83x
Northumberland 21 0.37x
Midlothian 15 0.29x
Berkshire 11 0.38x
Flintshire 11 1.06x
Cumberland 9 0.27x
Renfrewshire 9 0.30x
Shropshire 8 0.24x
Herefordshire 7 0.44x
Montgomeryshire 7 0.79x
Suffolk 7 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.39x
Rutland 5 1.77x
Royal Navy 4 0.87x
Brecknockshire 3 0.39x
Cardiganshire 3 0.32x
Anglesey 2 0.29x
Channel Islands 2 0.18x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.19x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.16x
Perthshire 2 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 47 Simons' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.40x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 47 1.40x
Leicester St Margaret 46 4.41x
Nottingham St Mary 46 3.42x
Birmingham 44 1.36x
Paul 42 52.98x
Aston 41 1.53x
Islington London 41 1.10x
East Donyland 37 201.85x
Bethnal Green London 35 2.09x
Camberwell 34 1.38x
Hackney London 34 1.57x
Methwold 34 177.36x
Southwark St George Martyr 31 4.00x
Spitalfields London 31 10.69x
St Marylebone London 28 1.36x
Dundee 27 2.03x
Leicester St Mary 26 7.53x
Mile End Old Town 25 4.11x
St Pancras London 25 0.81x
Whitechapel London 25 6.58x
Croydon Cum Clapton 24 380.35x
Liverpool 24 0.86x
Hanslope 22 105.06x
Louth 22 15.58x
Madron Penzance 22 13.87x
Northampton Priory St 22 10.11x
Plymouth St Andrew 22 3.56x
Swansea Town 22 4.00x
West Bagborough 22 350.88x
Shoreditch London 21 1.26x
St George In East 21 8.01x
Tendring 21 187.67x
West Ham 21 1.25x
Sibbertoft 20 519.48x
Hilperton 19 174.95x
Thame 19 43.89x
Battersea 18 1.27x
Great Grimsby 18 4.60x
Merthyr Tydfil 18 2.79x
Alfreton 17 9.27x
Brackley St Peter 17 68.36x
Camborne 17 9.46x
Holy Trinity 17 1.85x
Launton 17 216.29x
Moulton 17 84.33x
Preston 17 1.39x
Ripple 17 178.38x
Tottenham 17 2.77x
Waltham On The Wolds 17 216.56x
West Derby 17 1.27x
Barony 16 0.51x
Salford 16 1.19x
Sutton In Marsh 16 336.13x
Barking 15 6.74x
Deddington 15 58.07x
Ivinghoe 15 82.37x
Lewisham 15 2.14x
Paddington London 15 1.06x
Snenton 15 7.35x
St George Bloomsbury 15 6.78x
Beckenham 14 8.14x
Broughton 14 24.46x
Ystradyfodwg 14 2.38x
Eaton Socon 13 41.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 0.63x
Glasgow 13 0.59x
Grays Thurrock 13 18.39x
Illogan 13 11.25x
Kingsbury 13 62.53x
Kirtlington 13 137.28x
Bradfield 12 111.01x
Bradford 12 1.30x
Dalby Great 12 200.00x
Finchley 12 8.12x
Leicester St Leonard 12 29.67x
Mile End New Town 12 22.80x
Oadby 12 52.42x
Theddlethorpe St Helen 12 219.78x
Westminster St 12 8.45x
Woolwich 12 2.47x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Simons surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 246
Sarah 161
Elizabeth 145
Jane 74
Annie 67
Ann 65
Eliza 57
Ellen 49
Emma 49
Alice 48
Emily 35
Fanny 31
Charlotte 27
Hannah 27
Martha 27
Kate 26
Margaret 25
Ada 24
Harriet 22
Louisa 22
Maria 22
Edith 21
Florence 21
Caroline 20
Catherine 19
Harriett 17
Lucy 17
Clara 16
Frances 16
Rebecca 16
Anne 14
Esther 14
Amelia 13
Rose 13
Susan 12
Agnes 11
Amy 10
Beatrice 9
Betsy 9
Eleanor 9
Elizth. 8
Gertrude 8
Leah 8
Lizzie 8
Ruth 8
Sophia 8
Susannah 8
Lydia 7
Matilda 7
Minnie 7

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Simons surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 227
John 219
George 116
Thomas 115
James 90
Charles 85
Henry 85
Joseph 60
Arthur 47
Edward 47
Frederick 47
Samuel 44
Alfred 43
Robert 43
Richard 40
Walter 36
Albert 25
David 22
Harry 22
Frank 18
Ernest 17
Edwin 16
Herbert 13
Benjamin 11
Francis 10
Fred 10
Thos. 9
Wm. 9
Isaac 8
Daniel 7
Fredrick 7
Simon 7
Tom 7
Chas. 6
Jacob 6
Jesse 6
Leonard 6
Maurice 6
Michael 6
Percy 6
Philip 6
Andrew 5
Lewis 5
Robt. 5
Sidney 5
Bertie 4
Emanuel 4
Mathew 4
Phillip 4
Solomon 4

FAQ

Simons surname: questions and answers

How common was the Simons surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,952 people were recorded with the Simons surname. That placed it at #1,148 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Simons surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,594 in 2016. That gives Simons a modern rank of #1,197.

What does the Simons surname mean?

Derived from the given name Simon, meaning "he has heard" or "to be heard."

What does the Simons map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Simons bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.